MLB Player News

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a home run, two total runs and two total RBI in Monday's loss to Arizona.

Bogaerts belted a two-run shot in the fifth inning, marking the third time in his past four games that he has gone deep. The shortstop has enjoyed a blazing beginning to his Padres career, notching at least one hit in each of his first six games and slashing .409/.440/.955 with three homers, seven RBI and five runs over that span. Bogaerts hit a modest 15 homers in 150 games with Boston last season, but he has hit as many as 33 long balls in an MLB campaign (in 2019 with the Red Sox).

Cruz is being evaluated for a facial injury, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Cruz took a blow to the face as he collided with Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game at Fenway Park. His left eye specifically seemed to be giving him trouble, but the Pirates are classifying Cruz's injury as a facial issue. Pittsburgh is off Thursday, so more clarity on Cruz's status should arrive shortly before Friday's game against the White Sox.

Cruz was removed from Wednesday's game in Boston due to an apparent left eye injury, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Cruz had an awkward collision with Rafael Devers near the third base bag in the top of the seventh inning and was replaced before the bottom of the seventh. A trainer appeared to be looking at his left eye. He finished the day 1-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout.

Berti is expected to see the majority of the playing time at shortstop while Joey Wendle (ribs) is on the injured list, David Wilson of the Miami Herald reports.

Berti is a poor fit defensively at shortstop, but the veteran utility player is still viewed as the superior option to Garrett Hampson. The Marlins also have Jose Iglesias at Triple-A, but he's not on the 40-man roster and the organization may not have an easy way to create a spot for him at the moment. Berti has had a quiet start to the year, going 3-for-15 (.200) through five games without a stolen base, but his wheels should start making an impact with consistent playing time.

Arcia went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Cardinals.

He took Steven Matz deep in the second inning, giving Arcia his first homer of the season. The veteran shortstop has made Atlanta look good for naming him the starter over prospects Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake, playing impressive defense while batting .316 (6-for-19) with five runs scored through the first five games of the year.

Cruz went 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox.

His modest four-game hit streak to begin the season came to an end, but Cruz made up for it with his first steal of 2023. The 24-year-old comes into the season with sky-high expectations after slugging 17 homers and stealing 10 bases in 87 big-league games last year, and while he's batting only .263 (5-for-19) with one home run and one stolen base through five games, his 3:4 BB:K is highly encouraging. If Cruz's plate discipline takes a big step forward, a massive fantasy campaign is likely to follow.

Perdomo went 1-for-1 with a walk, was hit by a pitch, stole a base, knocked in three runs and scored three runs in Tuesday's 8-6 win over San Diego.

Arizona's offense came to life over the final four innings, including a four-run eighth in which Perdomo figured prominently. His drag bunt produced the game-tying run -- his team-leading fourth RBI -- and he reached base when first baseman Matt Carpenter mishandled the ball. Perdomo then stole second base and eventually scored on a Jose Herrera single. The Diamondbacks were aggressive on the basepaths, taking extra bases and stealing five bags (attempting six), and produced eight runs on nine hits (two for extra bases) and seven walks. After an offensively sluggish five games, Tuesday's explosion may be a preview of what's to come in Arizona this summer. Perdomo is currently sharing the shortstop position with Nick Ahmed.

Turner went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Yankees.

After singling to left field in the seventh inning, Turner swiped his first bag of the year in close fashion -- the throw from Kyle Higashioka beat him, but his slide jostled the ball out of Anthony Volpe's glove. Turner has had a blistering start to the season at the plate, batting .391 (9-for-23) through five games with a double and two triples, and after stealing 27 bases on 30 attempts in 2022, MLB's rule changes to boost the running game could allow the 29-year-old shortstop to challenge his career high of 46 steals, set back in 2017 with the Nationals.

Barrero (hamstring) will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

Barrero exited Monday's 7-6 win over Chicago with right hamstring tightness and then sat out Tuesday's 12-5 loss, but he'll be back in the lineup for the series finale. Kevin Newman heads to the bench to open up a spot at shortstop for Barrero.

Vargas (groin) won't be available to play for the Dodgers until Friday at the earliest, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

Vargas is dealing with groin tightness and is out of the lineup for Tuesday's bout against the Rockies. The Dodgers are off Wednesday before starting a series against the Diamondbacks on Thursday, but the 34-year-old infielder will miss at least the first game of that series. Chris Taylor will handle shortstop duties while Vargas is out.